Sugar reduction & sweeteners 2017

Food and beverage manufacturers around the world are looking for ways to cut sugar in their products, particularly as the health effects of excess sugar are increasingly questioned.The trend for low- and no-sugar items​ has extended well beyond ‘diet’ and ‘light’ soft drinks, to yoghurts and desserts, tooth-friendly gums and sweets, diabetic-friendly baked goods, and even reduced sugar soups, sauces and ketchup.The drivers for these trends are diverse. Sugar policy has kept prices relatively high in some markets, particularly Europe and the United States, while the Chinese government is keen to remain self-sufficient in sugar and is looking at a suite of measures to sate its country’s increasing appetite for the sweet stuff.Meanwhile, many parents are concerned about the amount of sugar in their children’s diets but are often looking for sweet alternatives that are free from artificial ingredients too.But there are many challenges to reducing and replacing sugar in formulations – technical, regulatory and consumer-driven.

In this FoodNavigator online summit, we look at the market for reduced sugar and zero-sugar products​, how to deal with some of the technical challenges​ of sugar reduction, and areas food and beverage makers should be keeping an eye on for new opportunities​.